Prepharmacy Advisor Prepharmacy Curriculum Clemson University College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences School of Animal, Biomedical and Biological Sciences Department of Biology Instruction and Agricultural Education

The following is an attempt to answer some of the questions frequently asked of the Prepharmacy Advisor. Please feel free to call (864.656.3829) or write: (E-mail: ragrc@clemson.edu) or

Dr. Ric A. García Prepharmacy Advisor Box 341902, 330 Long Hall Clemson, SC 29634-1902

Initially, the interested student should contact a pharmacy or the Pharmacy Department at a local hospital or clinic, express an interest in the field, and ask to be allowed to observe a pharmacist. Pharmacy schools require that students have a through knowledge of the pharmacy profession, and rate the student more highly if he or she has researched the profession, has health care employment experience, has worked in a pharmacy for more than a year , and has a realistic concept of present and future career roles. Observing pharmacists will not only give the student a better understanding of the pharmacy profession, but will also provide some contacts in the field. Observation experiences should be varied to include clinical as well as retail pharmacists.

Nonresidents of South Carolina should contact the Pharmacy Departments at the universities in the state of residence (a list of schools that offer Pharmacy is available from the Prepharmacy Advisor). We want students to come to Clemson and South Carolina, but they should be aware that state supported pharmacy programs must award the majority of class positions to state residents. At the Medical University of South Carolina, the class size is usually 65. It is possible to gain South Carolina residency status while pursuing your education at Clemson. Check with the Office of Undergraduate Studies if you are interested in this option.

The number of years that a Pharmacy program requires depends on the type of program and the school. The Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm. D.) degree is the entry-level degree at the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy and at the College of Pharmacy at the Medical University of South Carolina. The Pharm. D. requires six and one-half years of academic study including two years of prerequisite study. Although there are a number of Pharmacy Programs that still offer the B. S. in Pharmacy, by the year 2000 as many as 72% of the schools and colleges of pharmacy will offer the Pharm. D. as the sole first professional degree.

The Prepharmacy program at Clemson is not a degree granting curriculum; although Clemson will award, under certain conditions, the degree of Bachelor of Science in Preprofessional Studies to a student who has completed the first year of a pharmacy curriculum after completing a minimum of 90 approved semester credit hours at Clemson. Preprofessional Studies degree applications are available in the student records office. Clemson's Prepharmacy curriculum was established to help insure that the prerequisites for application to the Pharmacy program at MUSC or USC are met. (Requirements for most Pharmacy schools are fairly similar, but, if a student is interested in a school other than MUSC or USC, as many are, he or she should obtain a catalog from that school so that progress in fulfilling the requirements there can be monitored.) MUSC and USC require completion of the sophomore year or approximately 70 semester hours at an institution of higher learning. The enclosed curriculum lists the required courses for those two years here.

All students that enter the Prepharmacy curriculum here are asked to consider a degree granting major. In the event that the first application to a Pharmacy program is unsuccessful (admission to all pharmacy programs is competitive ), the student may continue working toward a degree for the junior and perhaps senior year. There is no limit to the number of applications that may be made to pharmacy school. Also, the acquisition of a baccalaureate (bachelor's) degree is considered a plus by MUSC and USC, and graduates are ranked higher during the initial screening. Beyond that, a degree opens the schools with graduate level degrees in pharmacy or pharmaceutical sciences to you. In most instances, application at the graduate level requires the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).

A major reason that the pharmacy field is so appealing and competitive is that it is a lucrative occupation. Starting salaries are around $40,000, about $50,000 with five years experience. The practice of pharmacy has changed over the past 20 years. It is much more than "counting and pouring" in a drugstore. The focus of practice has shifted from the product to patient care. Now, the pharmacist has expanded opportunities to directly improve a patient's quality of life through the responsible provision of drug therapy and other health-related services. A pharmacist is often the first health professional a consumer will go to with a health question. Also a pharmacist is likely to be the last health care team member to consult with patients about their drug treatment. Recognizing the benefits and risks of good drug therapy, today's pharmacist must not only be a dispenser of prescriptions, but also a communicator of information and a direct provider of drug-related primary health care.

Selection to pharmacy school is NOT automatic upon the completion of the Prepharmacy Program. Selection is based on the applicant's academic ability as shown in the Prepharmacy curriculum, letters of recommendation, and personal interviews. The applicant is expected to exhibit a degree of maturity commensurate with upper-level academic study as well as motivation for the practice of pharmacy. Applications are usually submitted during the fall of the year preceding the student's anticipated entrance into the college. Applications are normally acted upon beginning in early February until the class is filled or all applications have been processed. Applications from individuals with Prepharmacy courses in progress should be submitted after December 1st for the subsequent fall semester. Applicants who have completed all Prepharmacy course requirements may apply prior to December 1st. Applications will continue to be received until January 31st for the following fall. Only applicants who will have completed the minimum hours of required courses by the beginning of the fall semester will be allowed to matriculate. Grades of less than "C" (2.00) for prerequisite courses will not be accepted for transfer and all deficiencies must be removed prior to entering the College of Pharmacy.

The items above are general considerations concerning selection to pharmacy school. Both MUSC and USC have specific requirements and selection criteria. MUSC and many other pharmacy programs require the PCAT. USC stopped requiring the PCAT as of 11/98. USC requires that the student demonstrate typing efficiency before entering the professional program. This requirement may be satisfied by completing a basic typing course or by an examination administered by the College of Applied Professional Studies. USC also requires two semesters of a foreign language for graduation or an acceptable grade on their foreign language test. Students that can pass the test, may substitute humanities courses for the foreign language.

MUSC computes an "applicant index" for each candidate. The index is as follows:

Item Points Interview 20 *Academic Record 50 SAT Score 16 References 4 Minority / Rural 5
If you have additional questions, please call my office, 864.656.3829.

*The "academic record" is calculated on an adjusted GPA. Each Clemson student's key GPA is increased by 0.15 point because Clemson is classified as a "very competitive" university. The GPA is increased by 0.2 if the student has a bachelors degree. The GPA is decreased by .01 point for every science course that the student has not yet taken.

We welcome you to Clemson and encourage your participation as a Prepharmacy student. Like most students you'll probably love it here. A beautiful climate (usually), a beautiful campus (always), bowl game sized crowds at every home game, an excellent academic atmosphere - social atmosphere also, and a chance to pursue an important occupation at a fine university

Prepharmacy is a non-degree granting curriculum designed to meet the entrance requirements of the Pharmacy programs at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and the University of South Carolina (USC). This program requires 69-71 semester hours of undergraduate coursework. In addition, the student must apply to MUSC or USC for acceptance into their programs. The 1994 pharmacy class at MUSC has an average SAT of 981 and average GPA of 3.18. USC generally requires a GPA of 3.2 or better to be admitted to the professional program.

Curricula

MUSC

FIRST YEAR	SECOND YEAR
Fall Spring Course Credit BIOL 103 4 CH 101 4 ENGL 101 3 PSYCH 201 3 MTHSC 101* 3 Total 17 Course Credit BIOL 104 4 CH 102 4 ENGL 102 3 MTHSC 106** 4 History 3 Total 18	Fall Spring Course Credit CH 223 / 227 4 MICRO 305 4 PHYS 207 3 ECON 200 4 For. lan./Soc Sci ele. 3 Total 18 Course Credit CH 224 / 228 4 SPCH 150 3 PHYS 208 4 MTHSC/EX ST 301 3 For. lan./Soc Sci ele. 3 Total 17

* This requirement is eliminated if a student takes or has credit for MTHSC 106.

**Students who have credit for or who have successfully completed MTHSC 106 in the first semester may substitute a humanities or social science course.

The PCAT is required by MUSC.

*USC requires two semesters of a foreign language for graduation or an acceptable grade on their foreign language test. Students that can pass the test, may substitute social sciences courses for the foreign language.

The USC College of Pharmacy requires that the student demonstrate typing efficiency before entering the professional program. This requirement may be satisfied by completing a basic typing course or by an examination administered by the College of Applied Professional Studies.